Elevated Nonprotein-Bound Cortisol (NPC) in Pregnancy, During Estrogen Administration and in Carcinoma of the Prostate1

Abstract

Nonprotein-bound cortisol (NPC) was found to be elevated in pregnancy at 9 AM and 9 PM. Following estrogen administration, to females, NPC was elevated at 9 AM only. Excellent agreement was found between experimental and calculated values. A cortisol-type aminoaciduria (elevated histidine, alanine, threonine, asparagine/glutamine and serine) was present during pregnancy, giving physiological support to the significance of the elevated NPC concentrations. Following estrogen treatment only histidine and threonine excretions were elevated. The elevated NPC concentration in pregnancy may explain the Cushingoid state sometimes present in that condition, whereas the normal 9 pm NPC following estrogen in males may help explain the absence of a Cushingoid state. Addition of progesterone to normal serum in the concentration normally found in pregnancy did not cause a comparable increase in NPC. Patients with asymptomatic carcinoma of the prostate had elevated NPC.